U.S. patent number 4,235,502 [Application Number 06/032,047] was granted by the patent office on 1980-11-25 for mounting means for mounting a connector in a panel.
This patent grant is currently assigned to AMP Incorporated. Invention is credited to Richard L. Marks, Charles H. Weidler.
United States Patent |
4,235,502 |
Marks , et al. |
November 25, 1980 |
Mounting means for mounting a connector in a panel
Abstract
A molded latching device is disclosed which, along with a
similar latching device, is intended for assembly to a rearward
corner of a connector housing thereby to provide latching means on
the housing for latching the housing to an opening in a panel. The
latching device comprises an L-shaped member having first and
second arms. The arms have first and second internal surfaces which
define a pocket dimensioned to receive a rearward corner of the
connector housing. Attaching means are provided on the first arm
for attaching the latching device to the housing and a flexible
latch arm extends parallel to the second arm for engagement with
the surface of the panel. The second arm has bearing surfaces at
its free end for engagement with surface portions of the panel.
Inventors: |
Marks; Richard L.
(Mechanicsburg, PA), Weidler; Charles H. (Lancaster,
PA) |
Assignee: |
AMP Incorporated (Harrisburg,
PA)
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Family
ID: |
21862811 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/032,047 |
Filed: |
April 23, 1979 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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879575 |
Feb 21, 1978 |
4168874 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
439/557; 248/906;
248/273 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
13/74 (20130101); H01R 13/745 (20130101); H01R
4/2445 (20130101); H01R 13/506 (20130101); Y10S
248/906 (20130101); H01R 13/627 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R
13/74 (20060101); H01R 13/627 (20060101); H01R
13/506 (20060101); H01R 13/502 (20060101); H01R
4/24 (20060101); H01R 013/506 () |
Field of
Search: |
;339/125R,126R,126RS,128,278R ;403/405,409 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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2638604 |
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Feb 1978 |
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DE |
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2000387 |
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Jan 1979 |
|
GB |
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Primary Examiner: McQuade; John
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Raring; Frederick W.
Parent Case Text
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to latching devices intended for assembly to
an electrical connector housing for latching the housing to an
opening in a panel. This application is a continuation-in-part of
application Ser. No. 879,575 filed Feb. 21, 1978, now U.S. Pat. No.
4,168,874.
Claims
We claim:
1. A molded thermoplastic latching device which, along with a
similar latching device, is intended for assembly to a connector
housing to provide latching means on said housing to latch said
housing to a panel when said housing is inserted into an opening in
said panel, said housing having a mating face, a rearward face,
external sidewalls and internal endwalls between said faces, said
latching device comprising:
an L-shaped member having first and second arms, said first and
second arms having first and second internal surfaces and first and
second external surfaces respectively, said internal surfaces
intersecting to form a pocket which is dimensioned to receive a
rearward corner of said housing with said rearward face against
said first internal surface and with one of said endwalls against
said second internal surface,
attaching means on said first arm for attaching said L-shaped
member to said housing at said rearward corner,
said second arm having a free end and having bearing surface
portions on said free end for bearing against one side of said
panel and against portions of said opening in said panel, and
latch arm means for engagement with said panel, said latch means
comprising a flexible latch arm which extends parallel to said
second arm, said latch arm being spaced from said second internal
surface and being flexible towards said second internal surface,
said latch arm having a free end and having rearwardly facing
shoulder means on said free end for bearing against the other side
of said panel whereby,
upon assembling one of said latching devices to each of the
rearward corners of said housing and inserting said housing into
opening in said panel until said bearing surface portions are
against said one side of said panel and against said opening, said
latch arms will be flexed towards said second internal surfaces
until said shoulders are through said openings, and said shoulders
will then bear against the other side of said panel.
2. A molded thermoplastic latching device as set forth in claim 1,
said latching device being symmetrical with respect to a plane
extending normally and medially through said first and second arms
whereby identical latching members can be assembled to said
rearward corners of said housing.
3. A molded thermoplastic latching device as set forth in either of
claims 1 or 2, said attaching means on said first arm comprising
flanges extending from said first arm on each side of said first
internal surface and normally of said second internal surface, said
flanges having interengageable means thereon which are engageable
with complementary interengageable means on said housing.
4. A molded thermoplastic latching device as set forth in claim 3,
said interengageable means on said flanges comprising shoulders on
said flanges which extend parallel to, and are opposed to, said
first internal surface.
5. A molded thermoplastic latching device as set forth in claim 4,
said housing having terminal-receiving cavities extending
therethrough from said rearward face to said mating face, said
first internal surface covering one of said cavities at said
rearward face when said device is assembled to said housing, said
first internal surface having a centrally located boss thereon
which is dimensioned to be snugly received in said one cavity
thereby to stabilize said device on said housing.
6. A molded thermoplastic latching member as set forth in claim 1,
said second arm having a recess in said external surface thereof,
said recess intersecting said first external surface and extending
towards said free end of said second arm, said latch arm being
integral with said device in said recess and extending from said
recess.
7. A molded thermoplastic latching member as set forth in claim 1,
said second arm having a reduced cross-section at said free end,
said bearing surface portions comprising shoulder surfaces provided
by said reduced cross section.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is common design practice in the electrical connector field to
provide latching means on connector housing to permit the housings
to be mounted in an opening in a panel. Previously, the latching
means were molded integrally with the housing and it was necessary
to provide latching means on every housing part which might, in
use, be mounted in a panel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,874 discloses and
claims separate latching devices which can be assembled to a
connector housing when required to mount the housing in a panel and
which need not be assembled to the housing if they are not
required. In accordance with one embodiment of the latching devices
disclosed in that patent, two separate latching means are provided
on the housing at the rearward corners thereof, the two latching
devices being non-symmetrical and dissimilar so that two different
molded parts are required to provide a complete latching means on a
housing. The present invention is directed to the achievement of an
improved latching device which can be assembled to either corner of
a connector housing so that only one type of latching means is
required. Latching devices in accordance with the invention can be
assembled to either of the two mating housings of a connector pair,
as required, to mount either of the two housings of the assembly in
a panel.
A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises an L-shaped
member of molded thermoplastic material having first and second
arms. The arms have first and second internal surfaces which
intersect to define a pocket which is dimensioned to receive one
corner of the connector housing. The first arm has attaching means
thereon for attaching the latching device to the housing and the
second arm has at its free end, bearing surfaces which bear against
the panel in which the connector is mounted to stabilize the
connector in the panel opening. A flexible latch arm extends
parallel to the second arm and has rearwardly facing shoulder means
on its end for engagement with the panel. When a connector is to be
mounted on a panel, it is merely necessary to assemble two latching
devices to the rearward corners of the housing, insert the housing
through the panel opening until the bearing surfaces of the
latching members are against the panel on one side thereof and the
latch arms engage the other side.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector assembly mounted
in a panel opening with one of the latching devices exploded from
one of the connector parts.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 2--2 of FIG.
1.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the connector part shown in
FIG. 1 which has the latching devices thereon and which is mounted
in the panel, one of the latching devices being exploded from the
connector housing.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the two connector housings of
the connector assembly.
PRACTICE OF THE INVENTION
A latching device 2 in accordance with the invention is intended
for assembly to either a connector plug 4 or a connector receptacle
6 and serves to mount the housing to which it is assembled in an
opening 8 of a panel 10. In FIGS. 1-3, the latching devices are
associated with the plug housing 4 and this housing extends through
an opening 8 in the panel 10 from the side 12 of the panel and
beyond the side 14. The receptacle housing 6 can thus be coupled to
or uncoupled from the plug housing 4 from the side 14 of the
panel.
The structure of the plug housing 4 is briefly described below to
the extent ncessary for an understanding of the present invention.
It will be understood that a latching device 2 can be used with
other types of connector housings, such as the receptacle housing
6, and can be used with housings having greater or lesser numbers
of terminals therein than the housings shown.
The plug housing 4 is of molded thermoplastic material and has a
mating end 16, a rearward end 18, upper and lower sidewalls (as
viewed in the drawing) 20,22, and endwalls 24 which extend between
the ends 16, 18. A plurality of contact-receiving cavities 26
extend through the housing from the rearward end to the mating end
16, adjacent cavities being separated from each other by barrier
walls as shown in FIG. 3. The terminals 28 in the embodiment shown
are of the type fully described in application Ser. No. 879,575,
now U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,874 and comprise wire-receiving portions 30
adjacent to the mating end of the housing and which receive
complementary terminal pins 90 as shown in FIG. 2.
Wires 34 are electrically connected to the ends 30 of the terminals
by means of wire-receiving slots in the terminals, the edges of
these slots being dimensioned to penetrate the insulation of the
wires and establish electrical contact with the conducting cores.
The external sidewall 22 has wire-admitting slots 36 therein
extending inwardly from the rearward end 18 and the wires extend
laterally through these wire-admitting slots 36 as shown in FIG.
2.
A flange 38 extends transversely across the sidewall 20 adjacent to
the rearward end 18 and this flange has a forwardly facing shoulder
40 which is cooperable with attaching means on the latching device
2 for securing the latching device to the housing as will be
described below. Spaced-apart flanges 42 are provided on the lower
external sidewall 22, these flanges being between the
wire-admitting slots 36 and providing similar forwardly facing
shoulders 44.
The latching device 2 is generally L-shaped as shown, having first
and second arms 46, 48, these arms having first and second internal
surfaces 50, 52 which intersect to form a pocket which is
dimensioned to receive a rearward corner of the housing. The first
arm has attaching means thereon for attaching the member 2 to the
housing, this attaching means comprising flanges 58 on each side of
the surface 50 and inwardly directed lips 60 on the ends of these
flanges. The flanges 58 are dimensioned such that they will extend
over the flanges 38 and 42 as shown in FIG. 2, when a device is
assembled to the housing with the shoulder surfaces 40, 44 against
the lips 60. The attaching means additionally comprises a
rectangular boss 54 which extends centrally from the surface 50 and
which is dimensioned to be received in the terminal-receiving
cavity 26 in the housing which is adjacent to the endwalls, as
shown in FIG. 3, so that the sides of the bosses are against
internal wall surfaces of the cavities as shown at 56.
The housing 4 is stabilized in the opening 8 by means of bearing
surfaces 64, 66 on the outer or free ends 62 of the second arms 48
of the latching devices. These free ends are dimensioned to fit
into the opening 8 so that the surfaces 64 bear against the surface
12 of the panel and the surfaces 66 bear against the surfaces of
the opening 8, as best shown in FIG. 2. A recess 68 is provided in
the external surface of the second arm 48 and extends from the
corner of the latching device towards the free end of the arm 48. A
latch arm 70 extends from the floor of this recess as shown at 72
and has a flexible portion 74 which extends in the recess beyond
the free end of the arm 48. The latch arm 70 has an enlarged end 76
which is tapered, as shown, to its free end and provides a
rearwardly facing shoulder 78 for engagement with portions of the
surface 14 of the panel adjacent to the opening 8.
In use, and if it is desired to mount the housing 4 in the panel,
it is merely necessary to snap a latching device 2 onto each of the
rearward corners of the housing by moving the latching devices from
their exploded positions of FIGS. 1 and 3 to their assembled
positions. As the latching devices are moved towards the housing,
the flanges 58 are cammed outwardly until the ends of these flanges
snap over the flanges 38 and 42 of the housing. The bosses 54 will
then be snugly received in the cavities 26 which are adjacent to
the endwalls 24 as described previously. The housing 4 is then
mounted in the panel by moving it through the opening 8, mating end
first, from the side 12 until the latch arms engage the side 14 of
the panel. The connector housing 6 can then be engaged with and
disengaged from the housing 4 from the side 14 of the panel.
If desired, a channel-shaped cover as shown at 88, FIG. 2, can be
secured to the rearward face of the housing 4 between the latching
devices so that all of the cavities in the housing will be covered
at their rearward ends. FIG. 2 shows a cover 88 assembled to the
rearward face 18' of the receptacle housing 6 which is described
briefly below.
The receptacle housing has a rearward end 18', external sidewalls
20', 22' and external endwalls 24' which conform dimensionally or
have the same dimensions at the rearward end as the dimensions of
the housing 4. The mating end 16' has a recess which receives the
mating end of the plug housing and latching means are provided on
the upper flange 80 of the housing. This latching means comprises a
flexible central section 84 of the housing which has shoulder means
92 on its underside for engagement with rearwardly facing shoulders
of bosses 86 on the sidewall 20 of the housing 4. An integral
finger piece 85 is provided on the latch arm to permit lifting
thereof. The terminals in the receptacle housing are pin terminals
as shown at 90, and are dimensioned to be received by the terminals
28 in the housing 4.
It will be apparent that a plug 4 or a receptacle 6 can be mounted
in a panel in accordance with the invention. Latching devices 2 can
be mounted on either of the housings to secure either housing in a
panel opening 8. Furthermore, a standard size rectangular opening 8
in the panel 14 can be used for either of the connector parts 4, 6,
having latching devices 2 on their corners. As is apparent from
FIG. 2, when the plug member 4 is mounted in the opening 8, the
upper edge of the opening is against the upper surfaces 66 of the
latching members and the lower horizontal edge of the opening is
against the lower surfaces 66. It will be apparent from FIG. 2 that
the standard opening 8 required for the plug member is sufficiently
large to permit passage of the forward end of the receptacle member
therethrough.
* * * * *